Schooling Tips/Ideas

[Kails16]

Hi guys, looking for any help, ideas or exercises which you think may help.

I have recently purchased an extremely beautiful and very talented ISH. I couldn't be happier with him and he ticked every box for me given a recently broken back which left me cautious but still keen. He comes from a showing background in which he done extremely well and was ridden in a double bridle as he is a lightweight hunter and also done workers. Whilst he is perfectly behaved and easy controlled in his beval snaffle, I'm looking to improve his flexibility and suppleness.

I can easily leg yield, do walk/canter transitions and move him from side to side with my leg. He is just a bit set in his mouth , but doesn't lean on the bit at all. Obviously he is used to the double helping him to sit up, so trying to just work away in snaffle and get him going the same way for dressage/riding club etc. Might try a plain roller snaffle out of curiosity but any help would be much appreciated incase I'm over-looking things.

Thinking the obvious walk/trot transitions, leg yielding etc to lighten and lift him but have any of you been in the same situation and can provide any insight?

Thanks for listening

 

[be positive]

You will not be able to do dressage in the bevel so I would look at a simple loose ring snaffle something that moves a bit more so he is less able to be set in his mouth, against your hand, encourage him to relax and soften, use lots of transitions, flexions both true and counter in all paces, as he is generally going to be well educated you should find he comes fairly quickly once he learns to let go and I think the bevel will be fixing him a bit much at this stage.
Show horses tend to be ridden slightly behind the contact, sitting up so they carry the judge nicely so some long low stretchy work would also be very useful, almost taking him back a stage before you look to pick him back up.

 

[wkiwi]

Agree with "be positive" re bit and going back a stage.
Can you clarify 'set in his mouth' but 'doesn't lean on the bit at all'? Perhaps go back to training the basic rein aids so that he is responsive to these regardless of what movement you ask for?

 

[Kails16]

Thanks for that girls, I cleaned tack yesterday and actually switched bit to loose ring roller snaffle thinking the very same thing.

When I say 'set in mouth', it's a bit like I can drop reins and contact and he doesn't change his carriage, and he's not pulling on my arms either, but at the same time I feel like he's almost ignoring me a bit. Obviously I'm regaining strength following my accident so it's in no way concerning or worrying me, it will come with time, but some of these exercises just might help 👍🐴😀

 

[smja]

Does he feel a bit like a ghost in the contact? I had to put mine in a fixed ring snaffle before he'd stretch forwards into the contact, he loved to sit just behind the hand.

 

[wkiwi]

I can drop reins and contact and he doesn't change his carriage, ������

this means he is not accepting a correct contact, as he should stretch forward to maintain the contact as soon as you give with the reins. Regardless of what bit you end up deciding to use, you can teach him to take the contact forward by teaching stretch in walk (while maintaining an outside rein contact at all times). This is very important for training, which is why it is given double marks even in Intro dressage tests. I would teach it straight away rather than waiting for it to come with time; it will also mean that he will no longer be set in the mouth. It is one of the first things I teach to a horse being re-schooled, as then i can use it for checking the contact/adjusting the balance/changing the shape of the frame/, as well as relaxation and muscle stretches etc.